Abhinav Pentyala, a student at John P. Stevens High School, founded The Two Jeans Movement after helping a newly arrived immigrant child find jeans at a GreenDrop donation drive. The experience prompted him to think about clothing sitting unused in closets and how those items could serve someone else.
With help from fellow J.P. Stevens students, Pentyala began organizing clothing drives and encouraging people to donate garments they no longer wore. The name grew from a simple question about how much clothing people really need.
According to Pentyala, more than 250 students have become involved across seven states and five countries, collecting and donating 2,880 articles of clothing. The network includes New Jersey, New York, California, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Florida and Georgia, along with participants in India, China, Indonesia and South Korea.
The movement also works with GreenDrop to give donated clothing a second life. Its mission combines clothing collection with encouraging young people to reconsider their shopping habits and make greater use of what they already own.
On its website, Two Jeans challenges participants to build a week’s wardrobe around two pairs of jeans and a few shirts. The idea encourages personal expression while reducing unnecessary purchases.
Students can also participate through a short video activity. The website invites them to show two pairs of jeans and two shirts, identify themselves as part of the movement and submit a 15-second video. Opportunities to become a chapter lead are available through the site.
For residents of Clark, Rahway and Linden interested in participating, information about joining and contacting the organizers is available at twojeans.org. Questions can be directed to twojeansmovement@gmail.com.
Sources: Abhinav Pentyala and The Two Jeans Movement
